Sun Peaks Bike Park Celebrates 25 Years Of Lift-Accessed Mountain Biking

This summer marks a milestone in Sun Peaks, as the Sun Peaks Bike Park celebrates 25 years of providing lift-access riding to mountain bikers from around the world. Multi-million dollar downhill trail investments over the past several years and momentum behind the community-based Sun Peaks Recreational Trail Association have created a world-class mountain biking experience that now meets the desires of riders of all ages and abilities.

A Bike Park trail crew of 18 will be dedicating this summer to trail refinements, further elevating the overall trail product quality throughout the park and providing a riding experience unparalleled in the region. The Sun Peaks Bike Park now boasts over 83km of downhill trails, two lift-accessed mountains, a balanced offering of machine-built flow and technical singletrack, plus a pump track and innovative Progression Park (carpet lift-access) at the village base.

“Since 2018 we’ve been heavily focused on building new trails and opening a new mountain (Sundance) to diversify our trail offering and provide a robust and progressive downhill mountain biking experience for all types of riders,” says Shawn Melnechuk, Bike Park Manager. “This summer our crew is excited to be focusing on those existing trails, to spend quality time scrutinizing, testing, and perfecting areas in a way we haven’t been able to recently. We’re also making significant updates to the Progression Park and redesigning the Pump Track.”

“This summer is all about reflecting on the growth and evolution of mountain biking in Sun Peaks, bringing the community and guests together during fun events, and enjoying the culture of mountain biking and its associated feel-good aspects,” says Christina Antoniak, Director of Communications for Sun Peaks Resort. “We want people to think of Sun Peaks as hub for mountain biking, with the vast variety of lift access trails, growing pedal access network, and village amenities to make it a destination of choice.”

The new Summer Stoke Series unites riders in a fun, casual event as a nod to the hardworking trail crew. From 5-7pm on July 26, August 30 and September 20, riders from U8 to 18+ will go head-to-head on the new pump track built by Rick ‘trail wizard’ Boles. A ton of prizes will be given out, plus an ultimate grand prize dirt jumper bike valued at $1000 at the season finale. The $5-$10 entry fee will be 100% donated to Sun Peaks Recreational Trail Association and Sun Peaks Skate Park Foundation.

The Bike Park will also host two major competitions this season – the Sun Peaks Canadian National DH Championships, August 9-11, and the We Are One Canadian National Enduro Championships presented by Leatt, September 20-22. Both events will see hundreds of participants taking part, spanning juniors to masters, with the Enduro Championships taking on a weekend-long festival vibe. Both events will provide exposure of Sun Peaks as a mountain bike tourism destination to new guests from across the country.

And finally, the annual Peaks Pedal Fest on Labour Day long weekend, August 30 to September 1, will take on a 25th anniversary theme, and will launch the new Sun Peaks Junior DH Championships for U13. The weekend will consist of Demo Days (bike brand showcase), beer garden and DJ, a mullet booth, Scavenger Hunt, Movie Night, Foot Down Derby and Dual Grass Slalom.

To entice even more riders from the region to check out the trails this summer, the resort is launching two new products: Locals Days and Progression Park Never Ever Days. Locals Days takes place July 11, July 25 and August 15, to ride for only $25 during twilight (4-7pm) with 100% of proceeds donated back to local mountain bike associations. Progression Park Never Ever Days offers an all-inclusive package at a discount to try out downhill mountain biking – carpet lift ticket, rental and 2-hour lesson for only $50 on June 25, July 16 and August 20.

For those looking to learn new skills or get into the sport, the Sun Peaks Sports School has a line-up of lesson programs for young to old, including the new Locals Program for 50+. Returning are Summer Camps for youth, Locals Kids Weekly Lessons, Women’s and Men’s Ride Nights, and so much more.

Opening weekend of the Bike Park's 25th Anniversary season kicks off on Saturday, June 15 at 10:00am. Those hitting the trails in the morning will find some cool 25th Anniversary swag up for grabs and can pop over for a complimentary beverage courtesy of Granville Island Brewing, at Lift and a Lager at Masa’s Bar + Grill.

The Sun Peaks Bike Park operates daily, June 15 to September 30. Lifts spin 10:00am to 7:00pm through Labour Day long weekend, and then shift to 5:00pm for September.

A brief history of Sun Peaks Bike Park:

• 1999: Bike Park opens to public! Selection of hand built, technical, singletrack trails using natural rugged terrain on Tod Mountain.
• 2005: Opened Route 66, a next level machine-built flow trail.
• 2014: Sun Peaks Recreational Trail Association is established.
• 2014-2016: Hosts the Canadian DH MTB Championships.
• 2017: Lift-access alpine cross-country riding opens.
• 2018: A new 9km top-to-bottom green progression trail, Level Up, and the Progression Park open.
• 2019: A $350,000 investment in new and updated trails on Tod Mountain: Switcheroo, Bermalade, Canada Line, and Steam Shovel.
• 2020: Increase of bike carrier capacity on Sunburst chairlift by 30% to meet increase in demand.
• 2022: $1.5 million Resort and community investment to open Sundance Mountain chairlift and 31km of new trails, and top-to-bottom pedal trails on Mt. Morrisey by Sun Peaks Recreational Trail Association.
• 2024: Sun Peaks Bike Park 25th Anniversary.